Mid-Atlantic
State Honorees Stephanie Seitz, 18, of Wilmington, Del., a senior at Ursuline Academy, provides a wide range of volunteer services to a small Catholic middle school attended by boys of all faiths from low-income families. When Stephanie read in an article that Nativity Preparatory School needed volunteers, she decided to investigate. “From the moment I became involved, I knew this was a special place,” she said. Stephanie began by tutoring the fifth- to eighth-graders in the evening and just doing “whatever was asked of me,” she said. When she became aware of the school’s desperate need for stationery supplies, she recruited fellow students to help her organize a stationery collection drive at her school, and then coordinated two “jean days” that raised more than $600 to buy workbooks for Nativity Prep. She also painted classrooms, catalogued books, organized office files, and helped coach the school’s baseball team. “Being at Nativity, I realize that some of the things I take for granted are viewed as a luxury by the boys,” she said. “Working with the students has made me appreciate my family and all the opportunities I have even more,” she said. Taylor Richey, 10, of Bridgeville, Del., a member of Girl Scouts of The Chesapeake Bay Council in Newark and a fifth-grader at Phyllis Wheatley Middle School in Bridgeville, raised funds to purchase toys, games, and other play equipment for children undergoing treatment for cancer at A.I. Dupont Hospital in Wilmington. “I was hospitalized there all summer and I was bored,” said Taylor, who suffers from a rare skin and muscle disease. The hospital didn’t have much to entertain young patients, she said. When a water leak destroyed the few toys, books, video games, and movies that were there, Taylor decided to help. “I wanted to do something to make other kids happy,” she said. Taylor made plans to conduct a raffle at a local festival for one of two bicycles she had won in summer reading programs. After her friend and school nurse offered to shave her head if Taylor raised more than $3,000, Taylor received donations of over $5,000 from friends and community members. Taylor then purchased so many books, puzzles, movies, art supplies, and play stations that it took several trips to deliver everything. Taylor also has raised money to send supplies to troops overseas, and to buy books for her school library. Distinguished Finalists Michael Davis, 17, of Dover, Del., a senior at Dover High School, renovated a practice room used by the Rolling Thunder Drumline at his high school. Under the guidance of his band director, Michael drew up a proposal, obtained all of the necessary approvals, and collected more than $1,000 in donated funds and supplies. He then shopped for materials, created a work schedule, recruited volunteers, consulted building experts, and led efforts to install shelves and mirrors, paint walls, and lay new carpeting in the room. Mason Newark, 17, of Harrington, Del., a senior at Sussex Technical High School in Georgetown, helped beautify a low-income neighborhood by planting 30 flowering dogwood trees along one of its streets. With the approval of community officials, Mason planned the project, recruited help, created a work schedule, and dug large holes to plant the trees. Back to Top
State Honorees Paul Ervin, 17, of Washington, D.C., a senior at Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School in Bethesda, Md., volunteers for an international organization to educate and mentor young people in Ecuador who are living with Type 1 diabetes. Paul, an Inca Indian, decided three years ago that he wanted to do something to help his people, who have a high rate of diabetes. He discovered an organization called AYUDA (American Youth Understanding Diabetes Abroad) that was active in Ecuador. It was, he said, “a perfect match because it involves youth, and Ecuador is old Inca territory.” After researching diabetes and improving his Spanish, Paul began raising money for AYUDA and traveling to Ecuador every summer to participate in educational workshops and help develop youth leaders. Much of his time there is spent helping to run a summer camp for poor kids with diabetes, where he organizes activities, supervises meals, leads diabetes education classes, and helps check campers’ insulin and blood sugar levels seven times a day. He also collects and analyzes medical data on the children in the hope of improving their care and management (he was asked to present his findings at the Tri Annual World International Diabetes Federation Congress in South Africa in December). Paul also has personally raised $6,500 to buy insulin for the children. “Working with children with diabetes has been the most rewarding experience I could possibly have had,” Paul said. Kevwe Ajueyitsi, 13, of Washington, D.C., an eighth-grader at Jefferson Junior High School, helps prepare meals for homeless people in her community. “My father inspired me to start. The thought of doing a good deed did, too,” she said. Every Friday, Kevwe works with the volunteer team from the homeless ministry of her church as they prepare and package food. “I do a little of everything,” Kevwe said. “My goal was to be very helpful, and I reached that goal by trying to be the most dedicated worker there.” Kevwe also collects donations of books, clothes, and toys for disadvantaged children in Nigeria; volunteers for the Fannie Mae Foundation; and works as a peer mediator. “I am still looking for more to do,” she said. “I learned that when I do something good, I do not always have to get a reward back for doing it.” Distinguished Finalists Tawanda Davis, 18, of Washington, D.C., a senior at the Friendship Collegiate Academy, helped raise student awareness of citizens’ rights and improve communication between police and youth in her community. Tawanda interviewed police and incarcerated youth, conducted workshops to educate young people about their rights, and helped create and distribute a teen magazine about stereotypes and avoiding altercations with police. Antar Tichavakunda, 16, of Washington, D.C., a senior at Benjamin Banneker Academic Senior High School, helped clean and renovate an elementary school library in his community. After obtaining permission from the principal of Shepherd Elementary School, Antar recruited volunteers, solicited donations of materials and funds for supplies, and then cleaned, primed, painted, and redecorated the library room. Back to Top
State Honorees C. Patrick McClellan, 18, of Chesapeake Beach, Md., a senior at Huntingtown High School in Huntingtown, helped raise more than $50,000 to buy and improve a soup kitchen in Chihuahua, Mexico, and to provide food, blankets, and school supplies for poor families living nearby. It took only six days for Patrick to settle on his mission—the six days he spent in the summer of 2005 volunteering with a church group at a soup kitchen in Chihuahua. “This is an area ridden with drugs, prostitution, and crime,” he said. “The families live in one-room shacks with dirt floors and cardboard for walls, often with no running water or heat. I knew that I couldn’t return home and resume life as usual.” Back in Maryland, Patrick and three other teens organized fund-raising events and solicited donations from companies. At the same time, Patrick studied Mexican property laws and contacted attorneys, banks, and appraisers. Before long, enough money had been raised to purchase the soup kitchen’s building for the woman who operates it so that she could devote her resources to food rather than rent. Patrick and his friends also used their funds to buy new appliances and multiple quantities of food for the kitchen; 50 heavy blankets for families in the area; and backpacks and school supplies for needy children. Funds also have been provided for children’s educational expenses and regular doctor visits to the kitchen. “A life of a child should not be filled with anguish and despair, but playfulness and prosperity,” said Patrick, who plans to become an architect and help build decent, affordable homes for the families of Chihuahua. Travis Reece, 12, of Waldorf, Md., a seventh-grader at Milton Somers Middle School in La Plata, conducts fund-raisers and collection drives that provide food, clothing, school supplies, and holiday gifts to more than 3,000 needy children and their families each year. Travis first became aware in the fourth grade that some kids were less fortunate than he. “I learned that there were kids in my school whose families could not afford to buy supplies for the first day of school,” he said. “I know what it feels like to walk into school with a new book bag, new shoes, and a new coat. I felt bad for kids who could not afford the same stuff.” So that same year, Travis started a book bag drive at his school, and then sold baked goods, lemonade, and crafts with his brothers to fill the collected bags with school supplies. Soon after, he discovered the Children’s Aid Society’s Christmas toy drive, and set out to collect as many toys as he could. That led Travis to start annual collection drives for Easter baskets and Halloween treat bags. He also has conducted a food drive that fed more than 200 families, collected aluminum cans to raise money, and organized several fund-raisers each year to benefit the Children’s Aid Society and cystic fibrosis patients. “The joy I feel in my heart knowing that I can brighten a child’s life is the most rewarding part of all this,” said Travis. Distinguished Finalists Yonatan Grossman-Boder, 17, of Columbia, Md., a senior at Shoshana S. Cardin Jewish Community High School in Baltimore, is the founder and director of “Bears for Life,” a group that has raised more than $71,000 over the past five years to purchase an ambulance for an emergency relief organization in Israel. Yonatan and fellow volunteers raised the money by asking donors to sponsor teddy bears with messages of hope for Israeli children who have lost family members to terrorism. Zachary Kahn, 18, of Silver Spring, Md., a senior at Albert Einstein High School in Kensington, formed a club at his school that has refurbished more than 100 computers and donated them to needy students. Zachary persuaded his school to allocate space for the club; collected old machines from businesses, government, and individuals; recruited 10 computer-savvy students to help with the refurbishing; and supplied recycled computers to students who did not have one at home. Tudor Maican, 18, of Bethesda, Md., a senior at Winston Churchill High School in Potomac, created “Heart to Heart,” a group of young orchestral and vocal performers from area schools who join together to perform concerts at children’s hospitals and retirement homes. Tudor, who began “Heart to Heart” in 1998, recruits the student musicians, practices with them, and organizes the concerts. Shayna Meliker, 18, of Ellicott City, Md., a senior at Centennial High School, started a fund-raising walkathon in 2002 to benefit the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America, and has chaired the event every year since. The walkathon has raised more than $250,000 to help find a cure for Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Rebecca Sanford, 12, of La Plata, Md., a seventh-grader at Milton Somers Middle School, has collected more than 1,000 stuffed animals and donated them to the sheriff’s department so officers can give them to children involved in scary situations. Rebecca, who had been comforted by a toy gift after a frightening car accident in 2004, solicited donations from fellow students, friends, and Girl Scouts; set up collection boxes around town; and posted a notice on her website. She originally hoped to collect 500 stuffed animals, but her drive really took off after an article about her efforts appeared in the newspaper. Afton Vechery, 17, of Woodbine, Md., a senior at Glenelg High School in Glenelg, is the founder and chief executive officer of SAFEH2OWEST, a business that provides low-cost well-water testing for people in her community. Since 2004, when she began testing wells, Afton has detected coliform and E. coli bacteria in several wells and provided the homeowners with information to protect themselves from contaminated water. Back to Top
State Honorees Daniel Feldman, 16, of Linwood, N.J., a member of the Atlanta County 4-H in Mays Landing and a sophomore at Mainland Regional High School in Linwood, has raised more than $25,000 to feed hungry children by organizing dozens of bake sales and other fund-raising activities in an expansive project called “Kids Feeding Kids.” Daniel initially learned about child hunger while volunteering at a local rescue mission, and then was selected to attend the Great American Bake Sale Camp. “I learned that each year 13 million children in the United States are hungry or at risk of hunger,” he said. “No child should ever be deprived of the nutrition they need to learn and thrive in our society.” As a result, Daniel decided to “bake” a difference. He began recruiting teen volunteers and local businesses to help him conduct bake sales at community festivals, block parties, and other events throughout the year. Daniel and other “Kids Feeding Kids” volunteers write letters and make phone calls to garner support from merchants; secure locations for their sales; publicize the events with flyers, signs, and T-shirts; and finally make and sell cookies, cakes, and brownies to raise money. Daniel also sells specially designed anti-hunger pins and a baking book he created, and has held bake-off and essay contests, food collection drives, a raffle, and a huge garage sale. With the proceeds going to Share Our Strength, a national anti-hunger organization, and to local groups assisting victims of Hurricane Katrina, Daniel calculates that “Kids Feeding Kids” has raised enough money to provide more than 18,000 meals to hungry children. Katherine Amigo, 13, of West Windsor, N.J., an eighth-grader at Community Middle School in Plainsboro, formed a 14-member performance band to raise money for worthy causes and to encourage other students to get involved in volunteering. Attending the opening ceremonies of the Special Olympics in New Jersey “changed my life,” said Katherine. “Recognizing that I was blessed with dance, academic, and musical abilities, I felt the need to help those who did not have the same opportunities due to physical, mental, or intellectual challenges.” As Katherine began to volunteer, she realized that many of the friends who worked with her had musical talent, and came up with the idea of putting together a fund-raising band. After selecting 14 students to play in the band, Katherine started planning a concert to benefit Special Olympics. She reserved her school’s auditorium, developed musical arrangements for the band, and conducted rehearsals at her house over a three-month period. Then she produced flyers and invitations to publicize the concert, obtained donations from four local businesses, designed a printed program, and produced banners and props for the performance. The concert, held last June, raised $2,000. Four months later, Katherine helped produce a school variety show featuring her band, which raised $1,300 for the March of Dimes. Distinguished Finalists Matthew Bhaya, 13, of Haddonfield, N.J., a seventh-grader at Haddonfield Middle School, collects donations of gently used sports equipment for disadvantaged youth in his community. After creating a plan and writing a mission statement, Matthew designed and distributed flyers, solicited donations from community sports organizations, sorted and counted the contributions, and worked with local charities to deliver and distribute the gear. Jennifer Citak, 17, of Englewood Cliffs, N.J., a senior at Horace Mann School in the Bronx, N.Y., has distributed thousands of donated hats to children undergoing treatment for cancer. For her “Lids for Kids” campaign, Jennifer solicits donations of hats and funds from businesses, professional sports teams, organizations, and individuals; purchases additional hats; sorts and packs the items; and then works with “The Tomorrow’s Children’s Fund” to distribute the hats to young cancer patients across the U.S. Matthew Cortland, 18, of Marlton, N.J., a senior at Cherokee High School, founded a national student organization dedicated to increasing autism awareness, mentoring autistic children in sports and other activities, and raising funds for autism research. After helping to organize a community autism walk, Matthew launched the S.T.A.R. (Students Together for Autism Research) club at his school, with more than 120 students participating. The club is now established at six schools in New Jersey and Florida, and Matthew is leading a nationwide effort to start clubs in additional states. Dafna Gutfreund, 17, of Teaneck, N.J., a senior at Maayanot Yeshiva High School for Girls, organized a teen volunteer group that used the Internet to help senior citizens research—and sign up for—Medicare prescription drug coverage plans. Dafna met with health insurance professionals to develop a questionnaire to help seniors choose a plan, and then recruited and trained teen volunteers, advertised their service, and scheduled meetings and appointments with seniors. Thomas Head, 18, of Wayne, N.J., a senior at Wayne Hills High School, formed a nonprofit organization that provides entertainment, toys, and personal visits to children undergoing treatment for cancer, while raising money to help families pay for medical expenses and other care items. After recruiting a board of directors and other youth volunteers, Thomas designed a teddy bear to give to patients and to sell to raise funds, organized other fund-raising activities, and coordinated volunteer visits and other entertainment events for children at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Paterson, N.J. Cindy Wang, 15, of Westfield, N.J., a junior at Westfield High School, established a school music club that presents concerts at local senior citizen centers and nursing homes. Cindy recruited a school advisor and volunteer musicians, organized meetings and rehearsals, and coordinated concert schedules with senior center officials. She also raised funds for the Music-for-All Foundation by organizing bake sales and gathering donations from local businesses. Back to Top
State Honorees Back to Top
State Honorees Molly Houlahan, 15, of Devon, Pa., a ninth-grader at Agnes Irwin School in Rosemont, and Carolyn Houlahan, 12, of Devon, Pa., a sixth-grader at Agnes Irwin School, started a bee-product business that has raised more than $22,000 for the American Cancer Society by selling honey, honeycomb, and beeswax candles and lip balm. Molly and Carolyn launched “Hives for Lives” three years ago after their grandfather died of throat cancer. “We wanted to do something to remember him and to make sure others would not get sick and die like he did,” they said. Since they and their other grandparents shared a bee-keeping hobby and did not know what to do with all of the honey, the sisters suggested using it to fight cancer. Molly, the CEO of the business, and Carolyn, the president, harvest honey from nine hives in Virginia at the end of the summer, and then spin, filter, bottle, and label it by hand. They also make lip balm and candles from beeswax. To sell their products, Molly and Carolyn call on hospital gift shops, food stores, kitchen shops, and other retail outlets; take orders on a website (www.hivesforlives.com); and spend many weekends at local fairs and markets. Their “jobs” also include recruiting volunteers (called “helper bees”), preparing business presentations, meeting with suppliers, and speaking at schools and hospitals. In addition, Molly runs a Hives for Lives Young Business Leaders Club at her school. “Hives for Lives will go on as long as there is cancer,” said Molly. “I hope every year it will grow,” added Carolyn. Distinguished Finalists Kirsten Almquist, 17, of Sarver, Pa., a senior at Freeport Area Senior High School, compiled a directory of community health services to assist low-income clients of the Alle-Kiski HOPE Center and Habitat for Humanity. She also solicited monthly donations of personal hygiene products for domestic violence victims staying at the HOPE Center. Brandy Jackson, 17, of Rydal, Pa., a senior at Abington Senior High School in Abington, developed a program called “Prom Express” that collects gently used formal dresses, tuxedos, and accessories, and sells them at low cost so students from low-income families can participate in formal school events. Brandy uses the proceeds from the sales to fund scholarships for deserving students. Alessa Makuch, 18, of Danville, Pa., a senior at Danville Area High School, organized efforts to clean and restore an old cemetery in her community. Alessa recruited volunteers, removed debris and fallen trees, created a map of the cemetery, repaired and reset tombstones, and recorded and photographed the inscriptions on each stone. She then compiled all of the information she collected into a booklet for the local historical society. Tricia Roeder, 13, of Prospect Park, Pa., an eighth-grader at Prospect Park School, has raised thousands of dollars for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation by selling candy, Beanie Babies, and other items in her neighborhood; writing letters to solicit donations; leading a team in a walkathon; and organizing school bake sales and raffles. She also delivered presentations about cystic fibrosis to classrooms, organized assemblies, and coordinated activities for a school-wide CF awareness month. Elena Stark, 17, of Wexford, Pa., a senior at North Allegheny Senior High School, co-founded and directed a one-week day camp last summer that gave 140 children the chance to learn, have fun, and develop positive relationships with high school volunteers. The camp also enabled 35 high school students to develop leadership skills and serve as positive role models, and raised $500 for the North Allegheny Scholarship Fund. Li Xu, 16, of Wexford, Pa., a junior at North Allegheny Senior High School, coordinated a series of events at the Carnegie Library in Pittsburgh to promote literacy among children in kindergarten through second grade. Her “Tell-A-Tale Theatre” program featured a different book each day, supplementary crafts, interactive activities, and a healthy snack. Dian Yu, 18, of West Chester, Pa., a member of the West Chester Area YMCA and a senior at B. Reed Henderson High School, created a peer-tutoring program at her high school for immigrant students learning English as a second language. Dian recruited and trained volunteer tutors, acquired English training materials, matched students with tutors, scheduled after-school social activities, and tutored several ESL students herself. William Zandi, 16, of Malvern, Pa., a sophomore at Great Valley High School, conducted a campaign that collected 15 large cartons of school supplies for students in Louisiana schools damaged by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. He also secured a donation of furniture and equipment from his school district, and raised money to rent two tractor-trailers to deliver it to Louisiana. Back to Top
State Honorees Shannon Groves, 16, of Ashburn, Va., a senior at Broad Run High School, has been testing the water quality of local ponds and streams every month since June 2004 to determine their pollution levels and provide useful information to governmental water-management agencies. When Shannon was 8 years old, more than 100 fish suddenly died in a pond behind her home for no obvious reason. “I was shocked and puzzled by the sight of so many dead fish floating in the pond,” said Shannon. “It led me to wonder what I could do to prevent it from happening again,” she said. She also wondered whether her local watershed might be a source of pollution affecting the Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay. Shannon borrowed testing equipment owned by her community association and began conducting numerous chemical tests each month on a dozen ponds and streams, testing for carbon dioxide, dissolved oxygen, nitrates, orthophosphates, ammonia nitrogen, sulfide, turbidity, and fecal coliform bacteria. Shannon analyzes the results, writes monthly reports, and forwards them to local and state environmental officials. She also records the life forms she observes at her test sites, maintains a photo record of the sites, and removes trash and debris whenever she encounters it. Although Shannon has not discovered significant water-quality problems so far, her data “is the only benchmark in our area to serve as a red flag if any of those results drastically change in future tests,” she said. Jessica Vance, 11, of Blacksburg, Va., a sixth-grader at Blacksburg Middle School, has personally crocheted more than 500 baby hat and bootie sets, 40 blankets, and dozens of toddler hats over the past two years for new mothers in need. Jessica’s own mother had crocheted a baby set for her long ago, and one day Jessica asked her how she made it. Once Jessica learned the steps, she designed her own patterns, used allowance money to purchase yarn, and got to work. Each hat and bootie set took about two hours to complete, and each blanket took two weeks. As Jessica finished each set, she washed and packaged them. Then she delivered them to the birthing center at a local hospital, a pregnancy center, and a Christmas store, for distribution to new or expectant mothers. “The benefit to me is a warm sense of belonging to my community, and because I know that at least for a moment, my work creates that sense of belonging in other people,” said Jessica. Distinguished Finalists Ashlyn Allgood, 17, of Mechanicsville, Va., a member of the Girl Scout Commonwealth Council of Virginia and a senior at Hanover High School, has been teaching a gymnastics class for children with special needs since 2003. Ashlyn, a skilled gymnast, helps the kids learn motions that increase muscle strength, improve balance, and make them “smile from ear to ear,” she said. Evan Davis, 17, of Virginia Beach, Va., a member of the Mount Trashmore YMCA and a junior at First Colonial High School, co-authored a 367-page book about the 400-year history of the Virginia Beach Police Department. Before starting to write, Evan spent much of his three years on the project digging through old records and newspapers for information. Proceeds from the sale of the book will benefit the police department. Elizabeth Levy, 16, of Roanoke, Va., a junior at Roanoke Catholic School, co-founded and heads a nonprofit youth leadership organization called “U.S. Kids Care.” Since its first meeting on September 11, 2005, the 120-member group has helped organize projects to feed the poor, clothe the needy, provide supplies to refugee children, and raise money for Hurricane Katrina victims. Jordan Mellington, 17, of Atlantic, Va., a senior at Arcadia High School in Oak Hall, has helped collect more than $21,000 over the past seven years to prevent birth defects by leading a March of Dimes fund-raising team. Jordan’s team has sponsored many successful fund-raising events for the charity, including a battle of the bands, propane sales, and raffles. Iliana Sanchez, 17, of Spencer, Va., a senior at Bassett High School in Bassett, created “Minds of the Arts,” an arts organization run by teens for teens. Iliana created the group in 2005 to encourage involvement in the arts, and now hosts monthly “café” meetings where young attendees share their talents in acting, singing, writing, and painting. Shannon Walker, 18, of Purcellville, Va., a senior at Foxcroft School in Middleburg, organized a substance-abuse prevention event called “Youth Fest,” which was attended by more than 1,500 young people. Shannon began planning the event in 2004, received government sponsorship, recruited volunteers, and organized the program to show teens they can have fun without drugs or alcohol. Back to Top
State Honorees Kelydra Welcker, 17, of Parkersburg, W. Va., a senior at Parkersburg South High School, invented a way to purify drinking water in her community by developing a test for the presence of APFO (ammonium perfluorooctanoate), and then creating a method for removing the chemical from water. Due to an industrial plant upstream, the drinking water in Kelydra’s town has high levels of APFO, a controversial compound that manufacturers maintain is safe. “After listening to the media and reading articles debating the issue, I decided that it was more important to remove the chemical rather than to argue about its toxicity,” said Kelydra. So, over the past two years, she has spent almost every free minute looking for a solution. She conducted extensive research on APFO, collected and refurbished old scientific equipment, built a lab in a trailer near her home, and monitored the local water supply. Kelydra’s first objective was to design a simple test that anyone can perform to detect the presence of APFO in water. After she accomplished this with 92 percent accuracy, she developed a technique for removing and recovering APFO from water. She also designed a tabletop removal unit to help individuals with contaminated wells and cisterns. Kelydra has applied to patent her procedures, and plans to make the study of fluorosurfactants her career. “Any problem technology can cause, technology can cure,” she said. “I want to be a part of this process.” Cody Gallagher, 12, of Fairmont, W. Va., a sixth-grader at Rivesville Elementary/Middle School in Rivesville, developed a campaign to provide new and gently used children’s books to disadvantaged families, in an effort to encourage parents and their children to read together. “Learning to read can open many doors of success,” Cody said. “When you open the pages of a book, you open the door to travel, excitement, adventure, make believe, and history. Most of all, you open communication between a parent and child.” With help from his mother, Cody collected books from thrift stores, yard sales, churches, and book sales. He also conducted a month-long community book drive, raised money to buy books and support a local literacy program, and persuaded transit authorities to collect books in lieu of bus fares for a day. The books he collected, valued at $13,700, were distributed through a community youth center, a domestic violence shelter, day care centers, after-school programs, a hospital pediatric unit, overseas missionary boxes, parades, and an elementary school. “Providing books to families who might not have them makes it easier for children and families to learn and spend time together,” said Cody. Distinguished Finalists Lauren Taylor, 16, of Martinsburg, W. Va., a sophomore at Martinsburg High School, has raised nearly $9,000 over the past four years for a local hospice by holding an annual two-day bake sale in front of a local store. With help from a friend, Lauren meets with hospice officials to coordinate plans for the sale each year, writes letters soliciting donations from local businesses, publicizes the event, and spends two weeks baking and collecting donated baked goods for the sale. McKenzie Young, 18, of Huntington, W. Va., a senior at Huntington High School, organized a skin cancer awareness program at her high school and a free public skin cancer screening at a local hospital after losing a close family friend to the disease. McKenzie created displays and a trivia game for her skin cancer awareness day at school, and provided all students with free sunscreen. She then collaborated with the staff of Cabell Huntington Hospital to provide more than 300 local residents with skin cancer screening. |